Briland Farm's Secret Oath, winner of last year's Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), returns to the scene of her biggest triumph as she headlines a field of 10 for the 38th running of the $750,000 La Troienne (G1) for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Churchill Downs.
The La Troienne will go as Friday's ninth race on the 13-race program with a 4:04 p.m. (all times Eastern) post time. First post Friday is 10:30 a.m.
Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Secret Oath has earned more than $2.1 million in her career with more than $400,000 of it coming this year with a victory in the Azeri (G2) and a runner-up finish on April 15 to Clairiere in the Apple Blossom (G1) at Oaklawn Park. Tyler Gaffalione, who was aboard for the two starts in 2023, has the call Friday and will break from post position four.
Four other Grade 1 winners are in the field headed by defending La Troienne winner Pauline's Pearl, who is owned by Stonestreet Stables. The others are Hunter Valley Farm's A Mo Reay, Peter Blum Thoroughbreds' Society, and Klaravich Stables' Search Results.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Pauline's Pearl returns to the races following an off-the-board finish in the Beholder Mile (G1) at Santa Anita on March 11. Joel Rosario has the mount and will break from post position nine.
Trained by Brad Cox, A Mo Reay comes into the La Troienne off a victory in the Beholder Mile (G1) at Santa Anita in March. Florent Geroux has the mount and will break from post position 10.
Society, who won the Cotillion (G1) in September for Asmussen, returned to the races April 8 with a third-place finish in the Madison (G1) going seven furlongs at Keeneland. Jose Ortiz has the mount and will break from post position seven.
Search Results, winner of the 2021 Acorn (G1) and runner-up in that year's Kentucky Oaks, returns to the races off a six-month layoff for trainer Chad Brown. Search Results will break from post two under Flavien Prat.
The field for the La Troienne, with riders from the rail out, is:
- Played Hard (John Velazquez),
- Search Results (Prat),
- Sixtythreecaliber (Edgar Morales),
- Secret Oath (Gaffalione),
- Soul of an Angel (Jesus Castanon),
- Classy Edition (Irad Ortiz Jr.),
- Society (Jose Ortiz),
- Desert Dawn (Umberto Rispoli),
- Pauline's Pearl (Rosario),
- A Mo Reay (Geroux).
All starters will carry 123 pounds.
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